Tuesday, March 13, 2012

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AH: Canon has indicated two stops improvement in high ISO performance relative to the 5D Mark II. We understand this figure refers to in-camera JPEG files with noise reduction. Approximately how much of an improvement in high ISO performance or low ISO dynamic range is expected in RAW (CR2) files when using the latest Canon DPP software?

CW: These figures are not being disclosed, but of course they will be lower than the noise reduction achieved with in-camera JPEGs and EOS Movies.

Setting up your Canon 5D mkII (and mkIII?) | Vincent Laforet | Blog
Vincent wrote this blog post just before the 5D Mark III was announced, though he thinks some it will apply to that camera as well as to the Mark II:

You should see the picture style settings as a starting point that works for almost all circumstances. Personally I almost never stray from the settings myself. However you should feel free to change the contrast and saturation settings for certain situations – but never the sharpness in my opinion (you always want to keep that all the way down to give you the most filmic results.) These settings are meant to work well for web, broadcast televisions and motion pictures – but will require grading (color correction) to add saturation and contrast back in.

Rainbow-like Moire? | DVXUser
Color fringing is not a new problem for digital cameras, and some cameras suffer from it more than others. Now there's report's of it on the C300:

The following link shows an example of a kind of rainbow moire pattern I shot the other day on the C300 while conducting some lens tests. I've been shooting with the camera constantly under numerous less-than-favorable conditions and this is the only instance where I've seen this problem occur, so please treat this as a very unique case-study. But this may be something to be aware of in case you decide to bring this camera into a space with a lot of stained glass, like a church.

Paul Antico of Anticipate Media, who has a C300, drew my attention to this thread, and notes:

It's not nearly as bad for me as some are seeing. But there is a problem. The only time I could recreate it was worse case possible scenario of totally blown highlights that weren't properly exposed for and a straight or angles hard Contrast edge. The Sony NEX-FS100 is far worse, but I'm surprised the C300 is doing it at all.

Having got that out of the way, I think I had better put some flesh on the bare bones of my initial announcement that the EOS C300 is a game changer. To begin with, it delivers on quality, it delivers on functionality, it delivers on specifications and it delivers on ease of use. Most importantly, the filmmakers I spoke with all agreed that it features everything the 5D MkII was criticised for not having.

At ISO 12,800, the D4 continues to get noisier in the shadows and the fine details (especially on the thread bundles and paint brushes) start to look a little ragged. However, the 5DIII continues to look exemplary at ISO 12,800, with really no difference from 6400. 5DIII wins again, this time decisively.

Where to find/ask permission to shoot | Reddit
Interesting thread about getting permission before shooting. This subject isn't always black and white; in some cases it is open to interpretation:

Also, remember the law. If you only need a backdrop of an industrial location then you are legally permitted to film and take photographs of the area so long as you are on public property (roadside etc.) and you're not shooting a government building. Parking lots are usually owned by the premises and are not public highways, as such you would need permission to film on them.

Participants will be presented with technical and aesthetic implications of shooting in different Log modes, and discussions will be part theory and part practical application. We will demonstrate shooting Log in exterior and interior situations, and various recording techniques will be explained. Finally, the class will cover various post workflows for Log material, including color correct solutions in Final Cut Pro and Resolve.

Canon 85mm F1.8- Canon’s 85mm f1.8 is perhaps one of the best purchases one can make when upgrading lenses. At the time of writing this post, it is currently rated as Canon’s fastest focusing lens due to the combination of USM motor drive and the light glass elements. Indeed, this lens isn’t very large and also is quite light.

There are fringing problems when shooting wide open, but when stopped down to f2, they go away. Additionally, it is also known to be one of Canon’s sharpest lenses.

Mostly this involved sending a screener to the cinema and waiting for them to decide whether they would programme the film. I wish I had done this earlier in the process as some cinemas I missed out on because they programmed well in advance. I started this process about 3-4 months before the start of the tour with the cinemas that I really wanted to screen at.

CineGrain is a fantastic way to get the desired film look without banging your head against the wall. CineGrian also save a great deal of time, as you can get your desired look in a matter of moments without the need to jump into other suites or use several video layers. The addition of 2k support is great for those of you working with RED cameras or are finishing 2k to later be transferred. CineGrain comes in different packages depending on your budget for either Personal, Professional or Indie.

CMD has a tutorial (below) on creating 2D kaleidoscopes in After Effects. As many have, instead of the built-in CC Kaleida, they used PetesPlugins, which is no longer developed. You could also use Sapphire Kaleido, AIST ProFX Xkaleido, or the unique Omino Kaleidoscope from the free Omino After Effects Suite (demo below).

Give or take inflation has been around 3% for the past few years. So we will add 3% to the Yen price for 2009, 3% for 2010 and another 3% for 2011. That’s 1.03×1.03×1.03X342074.4 = 373793 Yen.
Time for the reveal, let’s change our 373793 Yen price tag back into pounds. The exchange rate in February 2012 123.965 Yen to £1. That’s 373793/123.965=£3015

How to Record Voice Overs | Videomaker | YouTube
They almost had me until the bit "you've got an excellent script and awesome voice talent."

In this segment we show you how to prepare a recording booth and choose proper audio equipment. Once you know the ins and outs of recording and editing voice-overs, your narration will be solid and carry as much impact as the rest of your production

‘Ishtar’ Lands on Mars | Brooks Barnes | New York Times
It's been a while - at least a year - since a movie was compared to Ishtar...

On Sunday, Rich Ross, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, said in a statement, “Moviemaking does not come without risk. It’s still an art, not a science, and there is no proven formula for success. Andrew Stanton is an incredibly talented and successful filmmaker who with his team put their hard work and vision into the making of ‘John Carter.’ Unfortunately, it failed to connect with audiences as much as we had all hoped.”